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| Bethtephil Baptist Church |
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Born in Gloucester, England, Miller spent his early years in the Church of England, where his parents worshipped. Soon, he moved to Bournemouth and continued his spiritual journey in the Church of England. It was in Bournemouth that, while still in his youth, he claims to have received divine revelation leading him to the conviction and the desire for believers’ baptism, which he immediately sought from the hands of the pastor of Wimborne Baptist Church in Dorsetshire. A call to the ministry followed and Miller responded with characteristic promptness. After receiving ministerial training, he served as pastor in Dorsetshire where, in 1905, he was chosen as president of Wimborne’s Free Church Council.
In this capacity, he defended Free Church principles
and was a staunch Baptist.
Miller spent three years in Dorsetshire and, after being approved by BMS, he set out for Jamaica where he landed in 1906. He started his ministry in the hills of Trelawny, but soon moved on to the Balaclava circuit, in response to a call extended to him. Miller spent twelve years as pastor of Balaclava and Elderslie churches. He was active in the life of the communities in which his churches were set and in the parish of St Elizabeth, where he became a member of the Parochial Board. He resigned from the Board in 1918, just before his departure from Balaclava.
Miller had to deal with health challenges at several points in his life. One Sunday in July 1918, while conducting worship at Elderslie, he experienced seizures and had to be rushed to Mandeville Hospital. He returned to England for treatment and rest and he recovered. Shortly after, the people of the Bethel Town circuit invited Miller to succeed their outstanding pastor, Philip Williams, who had died. Williams, a gifted Welshman who had spent many years in Bethel Town, during which he was elected to serve in several leadership positions in JBU. To date, Williams remains the longest-serving JBU Secretary.
In 1919, Miller started his ministry in Bethel Town. The people of Balaclava were grateful to him for agreeing to continue to offer pastoral oversight to their circuit in the first years of his pastorate at Bethel Town. This resulted from Balaclava being affected by a shortage of ministers in JBU. When, finally, Balaclava said thank you and goodbye to the Millers, on February 26, 1924, it was at the service of induction for their new pastor Rev Robert Whaites who had freshly arrived from England. In the welcome address to their new pastor, the Church Secretary said this:
We
looked forward with eagerness to your advent in this island to take up pastoral
duties. You took charge of this church one month ago from your loyal,
wholehearted predecessor, the Rev. Alfred Miller of Bethel Town, who shepherded
this flock in the absence of a resident
pastor, who spared no effort to put this church at a stage where it is
entirely free from debt, which gave us a satisfaction to hand over the
administration to you in such a condition.. ..: We pledge ourselves under all
circumstances ,,,,,
In
the farewell address to the Millers, Mr. T. T. Miles said this:
On this the eve of your
departure from us as Acting pastor of the Balaclava Baptist Church, we, the
officers and members do hereby take this pleasurable opportunity of showing to
you our high appreciation and thankfulness to Almighty God for your labour amongst
us now on nearing a year.
You came to our
assistance in the time of our extreme need, and were it not for your wise and
far-seeing administration, the working of the church on a whole, would have
been very low.
Your untiring zeal and
interest toward us together with the guidance of the Holy Spirit has resulted
in the fact of our rejoicing tonight, namely the welcoming of a new minister.
Miller had an impactful ministry at Bethel Town and
served there faithfully until 1930. Under his leadership, a new church building
was erected in Bethel Town and a Delco electricity generator was installed.
Once again, he offered himself in service to the communities in the Bethel Town circuit and became a member of the Parochial Board for Westmoreland. He occupied this position from 1921 to 1928, when impaired health forced him to resign once he had forfeited his right to a seat on the Board for sustained absence from Board meetings, caused by ill health. Once again, Miller returned to England for treatment. During his absence, Rev. A. G. Kirkham discharged the duties of acting pastor of the Bethel Town circuit.
In May 1928, the people enthusiastically welcomed Miller’s return to their community. One of the welcome events took place in the St Leonard’s Church. However, Miller’s time with the circuit was drawing near its close. He spent only two additional years in Bethel Town. On November 2, 1930, the Bethel Town Baptist Church bade farewell to the Millers. Four days later, they gathered to welcome their new pastor, Rev A. A. McNaughton.
Miller’s next pastorate the Bethtephil circuit in St James. The Millers took up residence in Adelphi and commenced a new phase of work in the circuit, where they spent seven years of committed labour. Miller’s next pastorate was the First Baptist Church, Montego Bay. Miller was never afraid to succeed pastors who had had great impact in their circuits. In 1937, he succeeded J. T. Dillon who had distinguished himself as pastor of the First Baptist Church, Montego Bay and as a leader in the JBU.
Significantly, it was under Miller’s leadership that the First Baptist Church, which earlier had been called Montego Bay Baptist Church, adopted its new name Burchell Baptist Church – to celebrate a former pastor who had done much to establish the congregation and to provide sound leadership in the early years of the church’s enormous growth.
Still maintaining his commitment to serve the community, Miller in 1937, joined the Board of Cornwall College.
Throughout his busy life and ministry, Miller found time to make his contribution to the wide Jamaica Baptist family. In 1918, he succeeded William Pratt, pastor of East Queen Street Baptist Church, in the position of Treasurer of the Jamaica Baptist Missionary Society. He also served for three terms as JBU Chairman: 1921-22, 1930-31, and 1938-39 and also as JBU Treasurer for 1942-43
After Rev T. I. Stockley left Jamaica, Miller was chosen as Superintendent of the JBU Sustentation Fund, whereby the Union ensured that pastors serving in small membership churches could receive a living wage. He filled this role until 1930.
In 1947, a few weeks into his retirement from the pastorate at Burchell Baptist Church fell ill and Miller passed away in the Montego Bay hospital. Many mourned his loss and expressed regret that he was not favoured with the joy of a longer retirement.
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